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On March 15th I was delighted to present a screening of the documentary ‘Dirty Martini & the New Burlesque’ adorned with performances from Lilly Laudanum, Lily Belle, Lou Leigh Blue and myself, at The Cube Cinema, Bristol. I contacted Miss Dirty herself to ask if she might have a few words for the audience. What I got was a testament to what a gracious Goddess she is. Miss Dirty Martini is truly a Fairy Godmother to anyone who has ever stripped on a stage, a beautiful influence on us all.

Dirty Martini & the New Burlesque Poster

The film itself is totally inspirational and funny and I suggest that you buy it here. It was awesome to see some of New York’s finest, who I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a stage with.

I’ve had a few people ask me about my stretching regime, so I thought I’d spread a little Karmic Love and share it here. I’ve loved Yoga for years, through it I’ve gained mental clarity, solace and peace in bad times and the ability to put my forehead flat on the ground with my legs stretched out.

Begin by getting in touch with your breath. Take a deep breath in through your nose and out through your mouth, really feel your chest expand, lift and contract with each breath. As this becomes more natural, shift your awareness to your standing position. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, relax your hands at your sides and feel your body lift. Straighten your spine, keep your shoulders even and keep your chin parallel to the floor beneath you. Now let’s begin.

Walk your hands forward in to Downward Facing Dog. Arms are stretched out, feet are flat and hips are raised to the sky.

Downward Facing Dog

Drop left knee, then right knee for a deeper stretch.

Come down on to all fours for Cat – Cow. Round the back, dropping the head, then gently reverse the pose so head and neck are extended up. Repeat 5 times. Keep breathing!

Back up in to Downward Facing Dog, this is a great transition pose, then straighten body and with great control lower the body to the ground as slowly as you can in to Chaturanga. Keep back straight and tuck your butt in to avoid lower back strain.

Chaturanga

Lower yourself completely to the ground and relax for a moment. Now it’s time to get fierce. Place forearms on the ground and stretch upper half of body upwards. Cobra! You can also open your mouth wide here to bring fresh blood in to your face and imagine devouring your prey.

Fierce

Now back up on to all fours, sit back on your heels, arms outstretched in front of you, forehead to the floor, in to child pose. Release through the forehead and keep breathing.

Child Pose

On to the stripper stretches. Back on all fours, bring your right leg in front of you, bent at a 90 degree angle, while your left leg remains stretched out straight behind you. Extend your body over the bent leg, reaching through your finger tips. Breathe deep. Move out of pose. I like to do 20 girly style push-ups here, then repeat pose on left leg, then 20 more girly style push-ups. This stretch will really open up your hips.

Take a brief respite in child pose again, then bring yourself back up in to the standing position. Continue to open up the hips with Warrior 1 and Warrior 2 poses, repeated on each side.

Warrior 1

Warrior 2

Finish this off by grasping your left ankle with your left hand, bending your left leg at the knee, right leg remains straight and grounded. Extend your left arm straight up to complete the full stretch. You’ll feel it through your side. This is, suitably enough, the Dancer Pose.

Keeping your focus on a point at eye level in front of you, bring your left leg round so that the sole of your foot is pressed firmly in to the inside of your right thigh. Keep that right foot firmly anchored. Bring both arms straight up and parallel to each other, hold & breath, then bring hands together in front of you for a moment of focus. Repeat in reverse. I always do this little sequence right before I go on stage. It’s an awesome stretch and great for focus.

Finally, sit in a cross legged, Lotus, Buddah on the Mountain pose, rest your hands on your knees and breathe. Focus on what you want out of your day, or just let a moment of stillness become you.

Namaste.

Evolution - Mondrian

Disclaimer – Always check with your doctor before undergoing any exercise regime. I am not a trained Yoga Instructor, merely an enthusiast. I recommend taking a class with a trained instructor to ensure that you are moving correctly and to avoid injury.